File or drawer for card-indexes.



Patented Dec. 30, I902.

P; H. YAWMAN. FILE 0R DRAWER FOB CARD INDEXES.

(Application filed June 3, 1901.)

(No Model.)

Inventor.

Witnesses.

'Y I .r ,7

A Attorney.

UNITED STATES PHILIP H. YAWMAN, OF ROCHESTER, YORK, ASSIGNOR TO YAWMAN & ERBE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER,

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

NEW YORK, A

FILE OR DRAWER FOR CARD-INDEXES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 717,490, dated December 30, 1902. Application filed June 3, 1901. Serial No. 82,866. (No model.)

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP H. YAWMAN, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Files or Drawersfor Card-Indexes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of IO this specification, and to the numerals marked thereon. I

My present invention has for its object to provide an improved form of file or drawer for card-indexes or similar filing-boxes provided 1 5 with suitable means movable therein to adjust the longitudinal space in the drawer for the accommodation of a greater or lesser number of cards or papers and to permit their being readily handled and inspected.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described, and the novel features pointed out in the claims at theend of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal view of a file or drawer constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rear side of the followerblock and with the clamp removed. Fig. 3

is a bottom plan View thereof. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the foot-piece or slide.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the clamp, and Fig.

6 is a view showing the construction of the guide.

Similar reference-numerals in the several figures indicate similar parts.

A file or drawer constructed in accordance with my invention embodies the bottom 1, end portions 2 and 3 at the forward and rear ends, respectively, and the sides 4:, the upper edges of which are cut away between the ends, as shown, to permit convenient access to the cards or other papers. The cards or papers being arranged as usual and extend- 5 ing transversely of the drawer between the sides 4 are adapted to be compressed against the front 2 or held against longitudinal movement in the file by means of a follower constructed in the present instance of a block of wood 5, adjustably connected to the bottom 1, as will be presently described. The forward face of the block is beveled rearwardly toward its upper end to allow the cards to rest thereon at a convenient angle for inspection.

Extending longitudinally of the bottom 1 is a groove or recess in which is arranged a guide or track constructed of a plate 10, having the inwardly-curving edges 11, forming guides thereon, as shown particularly in Fig. 6, and said track-plate is secured in the recess by the screws 12. Operating in the trackplate is a slide 13, the central portion of which is elevated slightly above its edges to reduce the friction upon the track-plate as the slide is moved thereon and also to provide a space for the head of a rivet or pin 15,

by means of which the slide is attached to a plate 16, having the ears or extensions at the sides, through which pass screws 17, secur- 7o ing the device to the lower side of the follower 5, so that the latter is guided centrally in its movement in the file. The slide 13 is extended forward of the follower to afford a broad base and prevent tipping.

In order to secure the block at any desired point of adjustment, I provide a clampingplate 20, attached to the rear side of the block, having the lower rearwardly-curving end provided with the edge 21, adapted to engage the upper faces of the edges or guides 11 on the track-plate, and to permit an adjustment of the plate I provide a pivotal connection between it and the block. Formed on the slide 13 is a head 22, which extends upwardly therefrom into a rearwardly-opening recess 23, provided in the block, and having thereon hooks 24, and at the ends of the hooks,at their proximate edges, are short lugs or ears 25. The plate 20 is preferably constructed of a single piece of sheet metal, from which is struck a forwardly-projecting lip26, upon the upper edge of which is a tongue 27, adapted to engage between the hooks 24: when the edge of the lip is in position beneath said hooks. This arrangement provides a pivotal connection between the block and clamping-plate, and the ears 25 extending over the tongue the plate can only be disengaged by a direct downward movement. The upper end of the plate is extended, as shown, into a convenient position to form a handle, which may be grasped by the operators fingers, and a spring 28, one end of which is arranged in a recess 29 in the block and operating against the handle serves to force it outward, tipping the plate and causing the edge 21 to engage the guides 11. By moving the handle toward the block to compress the spring the clamp will be removed from contact with the guides, when the block may be adjusted thereon.

The device is applicable to files heretofore constructed, and in order that it may also be used with those employing a longitudinal locking-rod passing through apertures provided in the lower sides of the cards I provide perforations 30 in the plate 20 and the head 22, adapted to register with an aperture 31 in the block through which the locking-rod may pass, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

32 indicates screws or suitable fastening devices passing through apertures in the head 22, affording additional means for securing the head to the follower.

The device I have described consists of few parts, which are simple in construction, and in assembling the parts the guide is first secured to the block, the clamping-plate engaged in the hooks 24, when the slide is then inserted in the track-plate, thereby securely locking the clamping-plate against removal. The parts thus assembled may be readily applied to a file or drawer by securing the trackplate in position.

I claim as my invention 1. In a file, the combination with a receptacle having a guide therein, a follower movable over the latter, and a slide engaging beneath the guide and attached to the follower, of a stationary hook rigid on the follower having its open side extending toward the guide, a pivoted clamping-plate having the edge engaging the guide and provided with a lip engaging beneath the hook, and means for holdsaid edge of the plate in frictional engagement with the guides.

2. In a file, the combination with a receptacle havingagnide therein, a follower movable over the guide, and a slide thereon engaging beneath the guide, of hooks on the follower having their open sides arranged toward the guide, a clamping-plate having an edge adapted to engage the guide and provided with a lip engaging thehooks, a tongue on the lip extending between the hooks to prevent lateral movement of the plate, and means operating above the hooks to cause the end of the plate to frictionally engage the guide.

3. In a file, the combination with a receptacle havinga guide,and a follower therein movable on the guide, of separated books on the follower opening toward the guide and having on their proximate edges ears or lugs, a clamping-plate having the lower end engaging the guide and provided with a lip engaging beneath the hooks, a tongue on the lip extending between the hooks in rear of the ears thereon to prevent the lateral movement of the plate, and means operating between the plate and follower to cause the former to engage the guide.

4. In a file, the combination with a receptacle having a guide thereon and a follower mounted on the guide and movable in the receptacle, of a hook on the follower, a clamping-plate normally resting upon the guide having the lip engaging beneath the hook, cooperating means between the hook and lip to prevent lateral movement of the clampingplate, and a spring arranged between the upper end of the plate and the follower to cause the engagement of the former with the guide.

5. In a file, the combination with a receptacle havinga guide arranged therein,a follower movable in the receptacle and a slide engaging the lower side of the guide and attached to the follower, of a head on the slide extending upwardly above the guide and provided with a hook, a clamping-plate engaging the guide having the lip lying in the hook, means between the hook and the lip preventing the lateral movement of the plate and a spring arranged between the follower and the plate to cause the frictional engagement of the latter with the guide.

6. Ina file, the combination with a receptacle having a guide therein, a follower movable in the receptacle having a transverse aperture, and a slide on the follower engaging one side of the guide, of a head on the slide having an aperture, a clamping-plate engaging the opposite side of the guide pivotally connected to the head and provided with an aperture, and means between the follower and plate to cause the latter to be held in engagement with the guide.

7. In a file, the combination with a receptacle having a guide therein, a follower movable in the receptacle having the rearwardly-opening recess at its rear side and provided with a transverse aperture, a slide secured to the follower and engaging one side of the guide and having a head lying in the recess provided with an aperture registering with the aperture in the follower, of a hook on the head, a clamping-plate engaging one side of the guide and provided with an aper ture, a lip on the plate engaging the hook, and a spring arranged between the follower and the clamping-plate.

8. The combination with a receptacle having the bottom, a plate thereon having the inwardly-extendin g edges forming guides,and

. a follower movable in the receptacle, of a slide lying beneath the guides and attached to the follower and having a head extending between the guides and above the latter, a hook on the head, a clamping-plate engaging the upper side of the guides and provided with a lip lying in the hook, means between the hook and lip for preventing the lateral movement IIO of the plate, and a spring normally holding the latter in engagement with the guide.

9. In a file, the combination with the receptacle having the track in its bottom, of the follower having the foot or plate in the track extending forward of the follower, a clamping-plate engaging the upper surface of the track and pivoted to the follower in bearings open toward the track and held therein by its engagement with the track.

10. In a file, the combination with the receptacle having the track in its bottom, and a follower engaginglthe track and movable thereon, of open bearings on the follower, and a clamp pivoted in the bearings and held therein by the engagement of its free end with the track.

11. In a file, the combination with thereeeptacle having the track in its bottom and a follower engaging the track and movable having the bearings, open on the side toward the track, of a clamp-plate pivoted in the bearings engaging the track and held thereby in engagement with the bearings, and a spring for tilting the clamp in its hearings to hold 35 the follower to the track.

, PHILIP H. YAWMAN. Witnesses:

G. WILLARD RICH, ALBERT WEIss. 

